Paralegal

Paralegal

There is nothing routine about a paralegal career. On any given day, you could be conducting legal research, drafting pleadings and motions, drawing up contracts, attending depositions, preparing for hearings – the list goes on. Paralegals are in high demand for professionals with comprehensive legal skill sets.

Join Our Program

At Midland College (MC), the Associate of Applied Science for Paralegal is designed to give you job-ready skills, hone your expertise and let you stand out from the competition. Your career success will be built on a foundation in ethics, critical thinking, and solid general legal knowledge – setting the stage for an exciting future.

Specific areas of training include legal research and writing, case screening and evaluation, civil litigation, probate administration, office management, accounting, servicing and filing of legal documents, and preparation of legal forms.

At MC, students in the paralegal program have the option of either an Associate of Applied Science degree, consisting of 60 semester credit hours that can be completed in two years, or a Beginning Legal Technician Certificate, consisting of 18 semester credit hours that can be completed within one year. Either way, you will study subjects like Business Law, Wills & Estates, Family Law, Civil Litigation, Oil & Gas, Interviewing & Investigation and Legal Research & Writing.

Paralegal reviewing legal documents Laptop, papers, pen, and reading glasses on a desk Paralegal reading a book in a library
     

 

Program Details

Click Links Below for Details

Marketable Skills

With the Associate of Applied Science for Paralegal, the student will be able to demonstrate the following marketable skills:

  • Reading Comprehension – Reading work-related information
  • Active Listening – Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • Speaking – Talking to others
  • Writing – Writing things for co-workers or customers
  • Critical Thinking – Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem

Career Opportunities

As with most areas, Paralegal careers begin with entry-level positions that lead to career advancement as your experience and expertise grow. Your services will be vital in civil litigation firms, family law offices, the district attorney’s office, criminal defense firms or land offices. There are a number of in-demand career possibilities including:

  • Legal Research Assistants
  • Business Developments
  • Court Coordinators
  • Mediators
  • Legal Secretaries
  • Brokerage Clerks
  • Billing, Cost and Rate Clerks - District and County Clerk’s Office
  • Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
  • Bookkeeping, Accounting and Auditing Clerks
  • Eligibility Interviewers for Government Programs
  • Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
  • Tax Examiners, Collectors, and Revenue Agents
  • Municipal Clerks
  • Tax Preparers

Demand

According to the American Bar Association, there are more than 1.1 million attorneys currently practicing law in the United States and about 40,000 new graduates emerging from the nation’s law schools every year. Whether they work in small practices, large firms, corporations, government or other entities, virtually every lawyer relies on the help of paralegals. At Midland College, you can become one of these highly valued professionals.

As a paralegal graduate, you will qualify to work under the supervision of a lawyer. Your career options are not limited to a law office, but also include corporate legal departments, law schools, public and private agencies, and local, state, and the federal government.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says the employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 15% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. Formally trained paralegals with strong computer and database management skills have the best job prospects.

Permian Basin Paralegal Association’s Andree Rosen Scholarship

$500 offered each Fall and Spring semester to one student maintaining a 3.0 GPA who is currently enrolled in the Paralegal program.

Midland Legal Secretaries Scholarship

$300 per semester for any second year Legal Assistant AAS degree seeker with a GPA of 3.0 or better who carries 9+ credit hours.

Contact Program Chair for details, and create an AcademicWorks account to be considered.

Apply for General Scholarships through the Financial Aid Portal

FAFSA Requirement

The student's FAFSA application must be on file with MC Financial Aid to access the Financial Aid Portal and apply for scholarships.

If the student's FAFSA application is not on file with MC Financial Aid, the student needs to complete the FAFSA application, and once processed, will have access to complete the general scholarship application.

FAFSA Information


How to Apply

  1. Go to our Financial Aid Portal, by clicking this link: Financial Aid Portal
  2. Log in using your SSN and Password. If this is your first time, click the "First Time User" link under the Submit button in the "Log In" box.
  3. Click the menu button at the top left-hand corner.
  4. Select the Scholarship Application.

For additional scholarship details and deadlines, visit the General Scholarships page.

General Scholarships

Visit the course catalog for the most complete and up-to-date information.

 

Student Success Stories

When students think about a career in law, their first images are usually lawyers and judges dramatically fighting for justice, objecting loudly in court and delivering verdicts that put the guilty behind bars. But the legal profession is not limited to attorneys and judges. Paralegals are a vital and significant group, and at MC there are different options to get a legal technician certification and/or paralegal associate degree. Students can choose from an all online track or evening class options.

Amber Allison

Amber Alison

Amber Allison's journey at Midland College culminated in December when she graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paralegal. She already completed her paralegal certification in spring 2020.

For Allison completing her education has been challenging; however, she is all about overcoming challenges.

Read the rest of Amber's story ...

 

Tiffany Stott

Tiffany Stott

“I am now a world away from where I was seven years ago!” Tiffany Stott exclaimed. “I never thought I’d be able to go back to school. This is a dream come true; I constantly have to pinch myself!” 

Tiffany graduates in May, with Associate of Applied Science degree in Paralegal from Midland College.

Read the rest of Tiffany's story ...

 

MC Paralegal Student Meagan Cox

MEAGAN COX

Meagan Cox graduated from MC’s paralegal program in 2018. She immediately started working in the field at Davis, Gerald & Cremer. She explains some of her duties as a working paralegal.

“Whenever the law firm gets documents, I read through them,” Cox said. “I summarize them so the attorney can see the important information at a glance and decide if it is something they specifically need.”

MC Paralegal Student Jennifer Garcia

JENNIFER GARCIA

Jennifer Garcia will receive her paralegal certificate this spring and her associate degree from MC next year. She adds the following to a paralegal’s duties.

“Paralegals are the face of the law office,” Garcia said. “We are an important extension of the attorney for whom we are working. Our job is to make the attorneys’ lives easier. Paralegals have to be organized. We have to know where everything is, and we have to know what the attorneys need before they even tell us.”

 

Read the rest of their story ...

 

 

 

Contact

Charity  Rohlfs

Department Chair
Marie Hall Academic Building
Room 153
(432) 685-4791
crohlfs@midland.edu

Division Office

Public Service

Technology Center Annex
Room 175
MC Main Campus
Midland, TX 79705
(432) 685-6713
Building Floor Plan (pdf)

MAP

 

 

Apply to MC Now

Thank you for choosing Midland College! If you are here to collect a few credits, take courses to transfer, or here to start a new career, we welcome you.

How to Apply